On Friday, Nov. 4, CUPE had a walkout strike that led to Catholic school closures and a brief period of online learning. While the government and CUPE had their negotiations and actions for or against Bill 28, students and families experienced a time of uncertainty. For those not directly involved by the strike, but were still affected, in what ways were their lives impacted by the strike?
Many students were excited for the news of a strike, knowing it would mean a day at home. Such a political protest is commonly seen as an opportunity for a day off for younger people, though unfortunately it didn’t exactly mean a break from school. On Friday, lessons were put on hold and students did stay home, but the following week many schools turned to online learning once again.
Over the period of COVID isolation, this was the go-to method, so many people were pretty prepared and able to handle online learning well. Though, for some classes, it was difficult to keep caught up. While the online learning only happened on Monday, many were unsure if this would continue for longer. Though, it wasn’t seen as a bad thing if it would continue, and many hoped the school closures would last longer.
Is it a bad thing that younger students see strikes and debates such as this as a positive thing? As long as it’s a day off, there is hardly any attention paid to the actual negatives and reality of the strikes and actions from the unions. Would it be beneficial to teach kids about the effects of strikes and unions and why they happen, or are they too young to understand?
As for some parents, the worry that it would last longer would probably be more troubling than a simple day off. A scramble for resources only for it to last one day, or the concern they would have to also work from home to watch their child during the closure. Not every adult has the luxury to work at home or take days off work, however, so the strike caused a lot of stress for some families. No one was able to say for sure how long the strike would last with how determined each side was, the possibilities were up in the air which made it worse for many. Strikes have effects on those not directly evolved; to some it’s a positive, but to others it’s a negative.
***
Emily Bowen is a Sacred Heart High School student who is doing her co-op placement at the Walkerton Herald-Times.
